Gunfire detection system praised

STOCKTON - Imagine a scenario where the crack of random gunfire is no longer the norm in Stockton.

Joe Goldeen

STOCKTON - Imagine a scenario where the crack of random gunfire is no longer the norm in Stockton.

What if there were an auditory sensor to pick up the sound of gunfire, sending an alert to Stockton police? A remote camera operator zooms in on several people in the designated area and is able to direct officers to the precise location of a man with a firearm. The man admits firing the weapon and that leads to another gun - and criminal - taken off the streets.

It's happening now thanks to some pretty advanced technology in use in one small slice of Stockton.

On Tuesday, Police Chief Eric Jones held a news conference to introduce the community to ShotSpotter Flex, a gunfire detection system that has been operating in Stockton since August on a pilot basis, helping officers control the gun crimes that continue to plague the city.

"Our No. 1 priority is to reduce gun violence," Jones said.

In addition to continuing the regional collaborations the Police Department has established with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement and justice agencies to keep officers out patrolling the streets, Jones said his understaffed force has little choice but to "rely on technology like never before. We must absolutely embrace it."

When the ShotSpotter sensors detect gunfire, a signal immediately is transmitted to the company's Bay Area headquarters, where a trained technician uses triangulation to pinpoint the spot of origin to within 5 to 10 feet. He in turn reports that location within 30 to 40 seconds to the Stockton Police Department's communications center to dispatch an officer.

While Jones would not reveal the exact 2 square miles of Stockton - the city covers approximately 65 square miles - blanketed by ShotSpotter during its nine-month pilot program, he did say an early analysis has shown the technology is proving to be a success. He cited a 50 percent reduction in gunfire in the covered area and detailed several incidents during the past four months in which officers responded to ShotSpotter alerts:

» A victim's car was fired upon in an intersection by two shooters. The victim's vehicle was struck three times, but no one in the vehicle was struck. Responding officers found 11 expended .45-caliber shell casings at the scene. An investigation led to the arrest of two suspects that day who later pleaded guilty. Both received prison time and probation.

» When officers arrived for a single gunshot, they found the shooter in the front yard of the residence with a loaded .22-caliber rifle leaning against a tree. The shooter had a pocketful of .22-caliber casings and admitted to firing the rifle.

» Community Response Team officers attempted to make contact at a residence where two shots were identified and they heard a subject run through the house and subsequently throw a loaded and stolen .40-caliber pistol into the backyard. A search of the yard turned up two expended .40-caliber shell casings. The residence was known for gang activity and the residents refused to open the door and told officers to get a warrant. A search warrant was served and officers located ammunition for a 9mm, 7.62 x 39, and .22-caliber shell casings, a holster, gang attire and 56 grams of marijuana. During questioning, one subject admitted to being in possession of the firearm. ShotSpotter also has assisted detectives in a recent homicide investigation, Jones said, calling it "an extra piece of evidence."

Jones said his department is "integrating our policing strategies and tactics with the use of the ShotSpotter Flex service to provide the gunfire data and intelligence we need to combat gun violence and related gun crime."

The data-driven system already has helped officers respond faster and with more safety to a hot spot while providing a valuable investigations tool that leads to effective prosecutions for illegal gun use, Jones said.

During the pilot program, the city is not paying SST Inc., the Newark-based developer of ShotSpotter, its normal management fee of $45,000 to $65,000 per square mile per year. The 18-year-old company is investing roughly $100,000 in Stockton for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that its leadership believes Stockton is a prime candidate for its technology.

SST President and CEO Ralph Clark noted that Stockton has the most understaffed police agency in California, and perhaps the nation. On a positive note, Clark said Chief Jones is "a chief that wants to do something," calling him a progressive leader.

Clark, an Oakland native, also said he has a fondness for Stockton after graduating from University of the Pacific in 1980.

"Let's do something for this chief, this city," Clark said.

When the time comes to decide if the city will pursue the ShotSpotter system full time, Clark said he would provide some resources to help fund the program. Jones said grants may be available through state and federal agencies, or he might initiate a public/private partnership or a fundraising effort in the community once people experience ShotSpotter's effectiveness.

ShotSpotter is in about 75 cities in the U.S., including Oakland, San Francisco, Richmond, San Pablo, East Palo Alto and Redwood City. It covers 20 square miles in Washington, D.C., the largest city it's deployed in, and systems are also in place in Brazil and Panama. There is no competing product, according to Clark.

"I think there are 2,000 cities or agencies out of 16,000 relevant to what we do" that are potential customers for ShotSpotter, Clark said.

With or without ShotSpotter, Jones emphasized the importance of residents continuing to report gunfire whenever and wherever they observe it.

"There may be a police response that the public doesn't know about. It's critical that the public continue to give us information. The more callers, the clearer the picture as to what occurred," Jones said.

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow his blog at recordnet.com/goldeenblog. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGoldeen.

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